Digitising more National Library treasures
As the National Library is preparing to begin construction of its Treasures Gallery later in 2009, the thrilling process of selecting and preparing the collection items which will be exhibited is now under way. Working towards creating a unique experience of seeing the Library’s greatest treasures, exemplifying Australian history and culture in the new state of the art display space, is proving a complex but rewarding exercise.
Plate II from Lewin, J. W. (John William), 1770-1819. Birds of New Holland with their natural history
http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-vn4511838
The English and Australian Cookery Book: Cookery for the Many... London, 1864
http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-vn4511474-1-s8
All exhibited items will also be available online and a large number of them have already been digitised under the Library’s digitisation program and can be seen on the Digital Collections web pages. They include Captain James Cook’s Endeavour Journal, William Bligh’s Notebook and list of mutineers, Matthew Flinders’ Chart of Terra Australis, Captain John Hunter’s Sketchbook, and The Ducie collection of First Fleet art by George Raper—to name a few notable examples.
A number of these items are fragile and very valuable and extreme caution has to be taken when handling them. Preservation Services Branch has assessed all items for their preservation and handling requirements and, in case of some items, has recommended that a conservator be present at the digital capture process to help with positioning the item, page turning, etc.
The digitisation of the Treasures Gallery items is a true team effort, involving a number of staff with specialist skills in a range of areas such as preservation, digital capture and photography, bibliographical description and cataloguing, and online delivery. Working alongside the Library’s collection curators, Digitisation and Photography Branch team members ensure the final outcomes are of the highest possible quality.
Some Treasures Gallery exhibits can already be examined online. Several gems recently digitised include:
- Birds of New Holland with Their Natural History Collected, Engraved and Faithfully Painted After Nature by John William Lewin
- The English and Australian Cookery Book: Cookery for the Many, as well as for the Upper Ten Thousand by an Australian Aristologist, 1864
- New South Wales Pocket Almanack and Colonial Remembrancer: for the Year of Our Lord and Saviour ... , 1806
- George Johnston’s Proclamation, Sydney 1808
Several items selected for the Treasures Gallery have yet to be photographed and made accessible through the Library’s website. Currently good progress is being made with digitising additional items from the Rare Books and Manuscript collections.
Some of the items awaiting digitisation in the near future are:
- A 15th century Latin Book of Hours
- A collection of early Tasmanian letters, 1807–1865
- Dellar sfera del mondo – An Astronomical Treaty by Alessandro Piccolomini, 1552
- The facsimile edition of The Book of Kells
- Bilderbuch fur Kinder – German children’s encyclopedia, published during 1798–1830, on natural history with several hand-coloured engraved plates relating to Australia
Behind each of these items is an exciting story which will be brought to life in the Treasures Gallery whose design will incorporate the highest possible standards of display, interpretation, new technology and preservation. Watch this space for more updates coming soon!
Barbara Rozmus
Director (Acting), Digitisation and Photography Branch



